"Dodgers got Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani on bargain" - MLB insider doubts Los Angeles team joining bidding war for Juan Soto
Juan Soto is the hottest free agent available but only a handful of teams have the means to sign him. The New York teams, the Mets and the Yankees are the favorites, but the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and LA Dodgers are not far behind.
Nevertheless, veteran MLB insider Jon Heyman believes the Mets will bag Soto, citing the deep pockets of the team's owner, Steve Cohen.
"If I had to pick a team, I'm going to say the Mets because I think they can outbid anybody, and I think he [Juan Soto] liked it in New York," Heyman said [5:54].
The insider claimed Soto loved living in San Diego, where the Dominican played a year and a half for the Padres. However, since the Dodgers are the only team from the West Coast that could sign the free agent, Heyman doesn't think Soto in California is a possibility, citing the Los Angeles team's track record in bidding wars.
"I don't think they're a team that's likely to get into a bidding war. When there's been a bidding war, they've lost," Heymand said [6:16].
"You know, they got [Freddie] Freeman for a bargain, they got [Mookie] Betts on what I think is a bargain, and they got [Shohei] Ohtani on what I think is the ultimate bargain because of the sponsorship deals that he brings."
Heyman and Chris Russo believe Juan Soto deal will happen sooner rather than later
Like Jon Heyman, popular sportscaster Chris Russo believes the Mets will acquire Juan Soto. Moreover, he is confident a deal will be done around the winter meetings.
"It's going to be done a lot earlier than normal, which, to me, thank God. I mean, I hate when big free agents wait until March to get signed. Maybe Ohtani set a trend last year when he got it done right around the end of the winter meetings," Russo said [3:30].
Heyman agrees with Russo, further adding Scott Boras, Soto's agent, has several other big players to look out for.
"I think it's going to be fairly quick. It has to be. Look, [Scott] Boras has got eight out of the top 16 players, right? He's got Bregman, Burns, Snell, Alonso, and several others," Heyman said [6:35]
Moreover, the insider feels all the teams bidding for Juan Soto will benefit from the Dominican signing a deal early. If they don't get Soto, they will have time to strategize around other free agents in such a scenario.